Milk-can closure.



A. R. RUPPENTHAL.

MILK CAN CLOSURE.

APPLICATION FILED 1 113.15, 1910'.

Pamntesi May 17, 1910.

m w m M AUGUST R. EUPPEN'IHAL, F BRILLION, WISCONSIN.

MILK-CAN CLOSURE.

958Alll2.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that 1, Answer R. RUPPEN- 'lHAL, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Brillion, in the county of Calumet and State ofWisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Milk-Can Closures, of which the following is a specification, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to improvements in closures for milk-cans; and anobject of my invention is to provide a milk-can closure which will behealth-preserving or hygienic and sanitary in character, simple inconstruction, relatively cheap in manufacture and efficient and durablein operation and use.

Another object of my invention is to provide a milk-can closure whichmay be readily removed from the milk-can and which will neverthelessefficiently prevent any squirting or leakage of the milk from the can.My new milk-can closure made loose- .titting for the following reasons:A loosefitting stopper can'be quickly and easily removed from andreplaced in the mouth of the can, whereby there is a great saving oftime in serving out the milk from the can and a great saving of'labor,inasmuch as the can-body does not have to be seized or handled in theoperation of removing the stopper. Moreover, there is no danger of thehandles of the cover or stopper being pulled off. Second: There is lessfriction between the stopper and the inside wall of the mouth of thecan, from which itresults that the coating of tin is not so soon wornfrom the metal of the can as in the case where a tight-fitting stopperis used. When the protecting coating of tin becomes worn, there isdanger of corrosion of the exposed metal and of contamination of themilk. The milk inspectors condemn milkcans having worn and exposedsurfaces and much labor is required to be expended in keeping the latterclean. But loose-fitting stoppers have been objected to on the groundthat they do not efficiently prevent the milk during transportation andhandling from squirting and leaking past the stopper and out of themouth of the can.

It is an object of my invention to provide a milk-can closure which willbe loose-fitting Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 15, 1910.

Patented May 17, 1910.

Serial No. 544,068.

and at the same time free from the objection just stated.

In the drawings illustrating the principle of my invention and the bestmode now known to me of applying that principle, the figure shows inelevation a milk-can provided with my new closure, parts being brokenaway and shown in section for the sake of clearness.

The milk-can a is provided near its mouth with an annular rib or ridge(sometimes called a head) I) which projects inwardly, the outer face ofthe milk-can being c0rrespondingly grooved. The stopper 0 is providedwith the handles d and is formed with a rim-flange e which overhangs theupper edge or mouth of the milk-can. I The ringsl aped neck portion f ofthe stopper 0 is made of thin flexible sheet-metal and is formed with anoutwardly projecting rib or bead The latter bears against the inner faceof the wall of the mouth portion of the milk-can with a yieldingpressure due to the elasticity of the metal of the neck f of the stopper0. The neck f is of such ,i

portion h rides upon or engages the inwardly-projecting head I); and,since this edge portion h is thin and flexible, it is sprung inwardlyand by its own resiliency bears with a tight or snug fit against theridge or bead Z) so that a liquid-tight joint is formed at this point.It will be observed that my new milk-can closure is loose-fit-' ting andyet prevents leakage of the milk from the can under the exactingconditions of milk-handling and transportation as carried on today.

I claim:

A milk-can closure consisting of the combination of a milk-can formednear its mouth with an inwardly-projecting annular bead; and aloose-fitting stopper having a ring-shaped neck-portion which is formedwith an outwardly-projecting annular bead and the edge of the inner endof which is pressed into engagement with the bead formed near the mouthof the milk-can, when the stopper is forced home, whereby a liquid-tightjoint is formed to prevent leakage of the milk from the can; the beadupon the neck-portion of the stopper preventing frictional contactbetween the rest of the ninth (9) day of February, A. D. 1910, inneck-portion of the stopper and the inner the presence of the twoundersigned Witopposing Wall of the mouth portion of the nesses.

can, whereby a loose fit and a minimum of AUGUST R, RUPPENTI-IAL. 5frictional resistance are insured. WVit In testimony whereof I hereuntoset my G E DA S hand at South Kaukauna, Wisconsin, this B I-I

